Samuel d



(No Model.)

SAFETY DEVICE FOR ELEVATORS. D No. 583,696. Patented June 1,1897.

33o Wa /27166060. f/avantor" UNITED STATES PATENT FFICE.

SAMUEL D. STROHM, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE STROHMELEVATOR SAFETY DEVICE COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

SAFETY DEVICE FOR ELEVATORS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 583,696, dated June 1,1897. Application filed April 4. 1896. Serial No. 586,213. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern: 3 is a controlling-lever for operating a pulBe it known that I, SAMUEL D. STROHM, a ley-wheel 4 by suitableappropriate intermecitizen of the United States, residing at Philadiateconnections, and to which pulley is 0011- delphia, in the county ofPhiladelphia and nected the valve or other controlling element 5 Stateof Pennsylvania, have invented certain of the operating mechanism.

new and useful Improvements in Safety De- 5 is an insulated stripsecured to one side vices for Elevators, (Case (3;) and I do hereof thewell or shaft, and which may be conby declare the following to bea full,clear, and veniently made of wood, and 6 is a metallic exact descriptionof the invention, which will contact strip or track secured to saidinsu- 1'0 enable others skilled in the art to which it aplated strip.

pertains to make and use the same. 7 is a sliding contact carried on thecar 1 My invention relates to various new and and making contact withsaid contact-strip 6. useful improvementsin safety devices for ele- 9 isa solenoid or magnet carried in the car vators,which are designedparticularly for use adjacent to the controlling-lever 3 and which 6 515 with passenger-elevators, and the improveis supported in anysuitableway. If desired, ments are of such a character that they may saidsolenoid or magnet may be suitably inbe applied to and used inconnection with any cased. variety of elevators. 10 is a locking-boltadapted to engage an The object of the invention is to provide a opening11 in the controlling-lever 3 when 2o safety device for elevators ofsuch a characsaid controlling-lever is brought to its central ter thatabsolute safety of operation of the position to close the elevator-valveand stop elevator-car will be assured. the car, said latch beingnormally forced into To this end the invention consists in theengagement with said opening by means of a provision ofelectricallycontrolled or operspring 12. Said bolt lOis connected withthe 25 ated mechanism by means of which, should core or armature 13 ofthe solenoid or magnet any one of the landing-doors be open or oth- 9and may conveniently be an extension of erwise unsafeor insecure, so asto operate the said core or armature, as shown in Fig. 2. In closers andbreakers in the safety-circuit, the the arrangement shown the solenoidor magoperating mechanism of the elevator will be net 9 is in a circuit14 between the brush 7 3o locked and can only be started when the saidand one side of the circuit of the elevatordoors are properly secured.lamp 15 for lighting the car, and, if desired,

In order that my invention may be better a resistance 16 for cuttingdown the current understood, attention is directed to the acflowingthrough saidsolenoid or magnet may companying drawings, forming a partof this be included in said circuit. Instead of em- 3 5 specification,and in whichploying as the source of electric supply the Figure 1 is adiagrammatic View of a conlighting-circuits of the building a primary orventional form of elevator, showing the apstorage battery or othersourcemaybe availed plicability thereto of my present improveof, with whichthe electric connections are to ments; Fig. 2, a section on the line sono of be suitably made.

1,0 Fig. 1; Fig. 3, a detail view of the preferred In carrying out myinvention I interpose manner of applying an electrically-operatedbetween the'other side 17 of the current-suplock to the actuating-motor;Figs. 4, 5, and ply and the magnet 9 suitable circuit making 6, detailviews of the preferred form of cirand breaking devices controlled by theland cuit-closer at the landings, adapted to be oping-doors or otherdoor or doors opening on 5 5 erated by the actual securing of thelandingthe elevator-shaft, so that unless said doors doors. are closedand preferably secured current will In all of the above viewscorresponding be prevented from passing to said solenoid parts arerepresented by the same referenceor magnet for unlocking theelevator-actuatnumerals. ing mechanism, as will be explained. Acon- 50 1is an elevator-car movable in a suitable venient arrangement for doingthis is illus-- well or shaft past the landings 2 2. tratedin Fig. 1 andwill be described.

Extending from one side of the source of current-supply is a wire 18,which leads to the pivoting-point 19 of a switch 20, carried on thefirst landing, and which preferably is incased, so that it cannot betampered with. The switch-lever 21 of this switch makes contact with thecontact-plates 22 and 23.

Extending from the contact-plate 532 is a wire 24, which passes througha circuit-breaker 25 of any suitable construction. From saidcircuit-breaker a wire 26 extends to the other contact-plate 23 of theswitch. From the latter contact-plate 23 a wire 27 extends to a switch20 on the floor above, where similar electric connections are made, andfrom the plate 23 of the switch at the extreme upper floor of thebuilding a wire 28 connects with the contact-strip 6, with which thebrush 7 is const-antly making contact.

The operation of the apparatus described above, and which is shown inFig. 1, will be readily understood and is as follows: When all thelanding-doors are closed, the circuit from the lamp 15 to the other-main17, or through any other source of supply, is closed through thecircuit-breakers at the landings and the solenoid or magnet 9 on thecar, so as to retract the core or armature and withdraw the bolt 10.Vhenever the car is stopped and the lever is brought to its centralposition, so as to close the elevator-valve, and the landing-door atwhich the car is stopped is opened, so as to break this circuit, thesolenoid or magnet 9 will be dcenergized, allowing the spring 12 toforce the bolt into the recess 11 of the controlling-lever, and saidlever will thereby be locked against movement. It will therefore beimpossible to start a car in this position, and said car can onlybestarted by closing the landing'door, completing the circuit, therebyenergizing the magnet or solenoid, retracting the bolt 10, and freeingthe controlling-lever 3. If for any reason any one of thecircuit-breakers at the landings is out of order, the switch-lever 21 ofthe switch at that floor may be thrown over into contact with the uppercontactplate 23, so as to cut out the circuit-breaker at that floor.This will allow the car to be operated, and the said circuit-breaker maybe repaired without affecting the operation of the car.

I have found from experience that when the current obtain ed is suppliedfrom the electric-light circuit of a building it is necessary that allparts be carefully insulated, as any ground through the iron work of theelevatorshaft is very objectionable and often fatal to correctoperation, and by means of the construction shown this result isobtained, it being noted that the bases of the switches and other partsare mounted on heavy insulated blocks.

Preferably the circuit-breakers at the landings are controlled by theactual securing of the doors, or, in other words, the circuit throughsaid circuit-breakers is closed by the latch 30 of the lan ding-doors.It is to be understood, however, that other forms of circuit-breakersmay be employed, as will be suggested to those skilled in the art.

In Figs. 4, 5, and 6 I illustrate a convenient form of circuit-breakerof the first class, to which attention is now directed.

31 is the body of the lock, mounted on a heavy insulated block andhaving an opening or slot 32 therein, into which the latch 30 passes.

33 is an insulated block made, preferably, of hard rubber secured withinthe plate 31 and carrying contact-springs 34 34 at each side thereof.

35 is a contact-plate adapted to make contact between said springs 3434, said plate being carried on a sleeve 36, secured to aninsulating-block 37. Said block is carried in a light frame 38, havingslotted arms 39 thereon, which arms engage with and are guided by smallguidebars 40, secured within the casin g 31.

41 is a guide-piece secured to the sleeve 36 and working within a holein the insulatingblock 33, and 42 is a light spiral spring, interposedbetween said insulating-block and said contact-plate 35 for normallyelevating the same from the springs 34 34. \Vith this form ofcircuit-closer the latch 30 entering the slot 32 will come into contactwith the top of the insulating-piece 37 and will force the contactplate35 downward, so as to complete the circuit between the springs 34 34.\Vhen said latch is elevated to unlock the door,'the spring 42 willforce the contact-plate 35 upward to break the circuit at the landing,as will be understood. This form of circuit-breaker I have found to bevery convenient in practice and it possesses the advantages of beingsimple and reliable. I

Instead of locking the controlling-lever 3 when it has been brought to acentral position, as illustrated in Fig. 1, the controllingwheel 43 maybe used, as shown in Fig. 3, provided with a slot 44 therein, which willbe engaged and locked by a bolt 10 when said wheel is brought to itscentral position to close the elevator-valve.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new therein, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is as follows:

1. In a safety device for elevators, the combination with an elementconnected with and operating the hydraulic valve or other controllingmechanism of the car, a latch or bolt for locking said element when thesame has been brought to a position to hold the car at rest, a solenoidor magnet for operating said latch or bolt, a safety-circuit throughsaid solenoid or magnet, landing-doors adjacent to which extends saidsafety-circuit, a plurality of closers and breakers in saidsafetycircuit operated by the latches of the landingdoors, and aninsulating-piece interposed between each closer and breaker and thelatch for operating the same, whereby the latches will at all times beinsulated from the safetycircuit, substantially as and for the purposeset forth.

2. In a safety device for elevators, the combination with an elementconnected with and operating the hydraulic valve or other controllingmechanism of the car, a latch or bolt for locking said element when thesame has been brought to a position to hold the car at rest, a solenoidor magnet for operating said latch or bolt, a safety-circuit throughsaid solenoid or magnet, a plurality of closers and breakers in saidsafety-circuit operated by the landing-doors, and a switch at eachlanding with connections for cutting out the circuit closer and breakerthereat, substantially as set forth.

3. In a safety device for elevators, the combination with an elementconnected with and operating the hydraulic Valve or other controllingmechanism of the car, a latch or bolt for locking said element when thesame has been brought to a position to hold the car at rest, a solenoidor magnet for operating said latch or bolt, a safety-circuit throughsaid solenoid or magnet, a plurality of closers and breakers in saidsafety-circuit operated by the landing-doors, and a switch at eachlanding with connections for cutting out the circuit closer and breakerthereat, said switches and closers and breakers being mounted oninsulated blocks so as to be insulated from the iron-work of theelevator-shaft, substantially as set forth.

4. An improved circuit-breaker for use with electric safety devices,comprising a casing adjacent to the landing-door and having an openingtherein in which the latch of the landing-door extends, an insulatedblock inside of said casing, two contact-springs secured to said block,a contact-plate adapted to make contact with said contact-sprin gs, aframe carried on said contact-plate but insulated from the same, saidframe being arranged immediately below the opening in said casing so asto be engaged by the latch of the landingdoor, a guide-rod for saidframe, and a spring for normally elevating said frame so as to break thecircuit between said contactsprings, substantially as set forth.

5. An improved circuit-breaker,comprising a casing 31, an insulatedblock 33 therein, contact-spring 34, 34, secured to said block, acontact-plate 35, adapted to make contact with said contact-springs, asleeve 36 carrying said contact-plate, an insulated block 37 to whichsaid sleeve is secured, a frame 38 carrying said sleeve, guide-lugs 39on said frame, guide-bars 40 with which said frame engages, and a spring41 beneath the contact-plate 35, normally tending to elevate the samefrom the contact-springs 34, substantially as set forth.

This specification signed and witnessed this 12th day of March, 1896.

SAMUEL D. STROHM.

Witnesses:

FRANK L. DYER, L. DELLA MCGIRR.

